Ciarán Gethings elated after first Irish success
HOLDING TIGHT: Marsh Wren and Ciaran Gethings, centre, win the Carey Glass Irish EBF Colreevy Mares Novice Chase from Law Ella, left, and Harmonya Maker. Picture: Healy Racing
British raider Marsh Wren gave Stuart Edmunds and Wicklow-born Ciarán Gethings a first Irish success when recording a gutsy, all-the-way win in the listed Carey Glass Irish EBF Colreevy Mares Novice Chase in Thurles.
The eight-year-old dictated the pace, jumping for fun, and, having shaken off the attentions of favourite Harmonya Maker, dug deep on the run-in to hold the challenge of Law Ella by three quarters of a length, prompting Gethings to declare: “This is a good buzz, one off the bucket list."
In the absence of the winning trainer, Gethings explained: “Fair play to Stuart and Ben Turner (owner) — I pestered them to bring her over and they decided to spend the money to come. Two miles and six in tough ground was right up her street.
“She’s a clever mare and, except for one mistake, jumped well. I tried to turn it into a test. We were trapping coming down to the last and I was praying to meet it on a stride. And she did.”
Champion jockey Paul Townend cut Jack Kennedy’s lead in the title-race to 10 (108-98) when scoring on his only ride of the day, Largy Hill, in the featured, Grade Three BoyleSports Michael Purcell Memorial Novice Hurdle, ending Gordon Elliott’s recent domination of the race.
Having edged ahead before the second last flight, the Flemensfirth gelding, winner of a three-mile maiden hurdle in Cork last time, scooted clear before the final obstacle and scored by four lengths from odds-on favourite Staffordshire Knot.
Largy Hill is trained for Simon Munir and Isaac Souede by Willie Mullins, who quipped “Paul picked the right one,” before adding: “He’s a big, chasing type and did everything right out there. It’s nice to win a good prize like this with him.
“We’ll see how he comes out of today’s race about what they want to do. He’s entered for Cheltenham but I doubt he’ll go there. We ‘ll probably wait for Fairyhouse and Punchestown.”
Trainer Jonathan Sweeney said “he’s not very big and could do a lot over hurdles,” after the Michael O’Sullivan-ridden 10-11 favourite Rushmount, runner-up over course and distance but off the track since November, scampered clear to beat Find A Fortune by eight lengths in the INH Stallion Owners EBF Maiden Hurdle.
Sweeney said: “He’s a home-bred and I’m delighted for the Moakleys. The plan was to go to Leopardstown at Christmas, but he had a bit of a setback. But he’s a nice horse and will come forward a good bit from today.”
Lady Gooner made a valiant bid to give Closutton and owners Simon Munir and Isaac Souede a double in the bumper.
But the 7-4 joint-favourite proved no match for the once-raced 14-1 shot Madge A Chroi, ridden by Ray Barron and a second winner in as many days for trainer Charles Byrnes, who said: “She’s a grand-daughter of Cailin Alainn, owned by the same people. She got the EBF bonus today and will run in another bumper before she goes hurdling next season.”
Dancing Jeremy (Donagh Meyler) registered his second success over fences when, despite dropping in trip, he proved a convincing winner of the www.thurlesraces.ie Handicap Chase, slamming Mount Frisco.
Winning trainer Andrew Fahey said of the nine-year-old: “He’s qualified for the final of the Full Circle Series at Punchestown and that’s his main aim. We’ll go somewhere with him before then, but it won’t be over hurdles.”
Luke Burke-Ott savoured his first racecourse success when partnering the Mick Winters-trained mare Pana To Milan to a convincing victory over favourite Moonlight Getaway in the BoyleSports (Amateur) Handicap Chase, a race his brother Andrew won on O Mio Babbino last year.
